Firefighters could be ‘days’ be at Dove Stone reservoir fire

Firefighters say it could take days to extinguish a massive blaze that broke out on the moorland in Greater Manchester on Saturday.

Officers said the fire at Dove Stone Reservoir in Greenfield, Saddleworth, had joined a fire a few miles away at Tintwistle Moor, near Glossop.

Clive Stanbrook, of Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service (DFRS), said the disease was spread due to dry weather conditions and “ever-changing winds”.

He said crews were “doing everything we could to stop this fire from spreading further,” including dropping water from helicopters and conducting reconnaissance with drones and planes. A 20-year-old woman appeared in court on charges of arson.

The fire at Tintwistle Moor in Glossop started on June 24 and was declared a major incident on Sunday, with DFRS saying firefighters were facing “challenging conditions”.

Stanbrook said: “We also had a few helicopters dropping water but also doing reconnaissance.

“Mountain Rescue were absolutely amazing and provided the drone. We also had a coast guard plane to do reconnaissance in the actual area.

“This is just a taste of the scale we’re dealing with right now.”

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) regional manager Ben Levy said: “I expect our firefighters will be on these moors for a number of days, I’m sure of that; there is no significant rainfall forecast, temperatures will remain high.”

About 70 firefighters, 11 fire trucks and four wildfire units arrived at the scene Tuesday.